Nature Photographer Magazine


	© Ryan R. Fox, Field Contributor

Article and Images
by Ryan R. Fox
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Relaxing on the warm sand and cooling off in the refreshing water are the obvious things people do at the beach. But did you ever think of all the photographic options that the beach has to offer? If you want to avoid the midday crowds and the summer vacationers, go to the beach early in the morning, or better yet, in the fall and winter. Endless opportunities abound to sharpen your skills in various forms of photographic arts.

Living in the urban sprawl of New York City in Lower Fairfield County Connecticut, there are not a lot of obvious nearby opportunities for nature photography. But a little creativity, a reliable alarm clock, and a desire to take better more creative nature photographs led me to the beaches of Long Island Sound. Waking early in the morning, you have the opportunity to photograph the sunrise, oyster boats, feeding seagulls, the rock coastline, and interesting seashell formation, among other inspiring subjects. Novice photographers may think they need a huge national park or large wide-open spaces to have the opportunity to take good nature photographs. It simply is not true. A small beach provides a plethora of opportunity when seeking to learn about nature photography.


© Ryan R. Fox, Field Contributor

Arriving at the beach just before sunrise should afford you great opportunities to learn about color, light, and balance. The water may appear dark in photographs, while the sky is light, so metering may be a challenging task. Typically, I choose to include more of the sky in my photographs if the colors are vibrant, requiring me to meter on the sky, but never with the sun in the frame. But, if the reflections in the water are spectacular, I include more of the water in the photograph and meter off the water. The best sunrise pictures tend to occur when there are lightly scattered clouds in the morning sky. They reflect light and produce a variety of orange, red, pink, and purple hues against the blue-gray morning sky. Using your tripod to snap these shots and waiting for seagulls to enter the frame will add some perspective and life to them.

Seagulls, however, are interesting subject themselves. A common sight at the beach, and a possible nuisance to beachgoers, seagulls provide the novice photographer with an opportunity to photograph wildlife, capture motion, and explore the use of zoom or telephoto lenses. Soaring overhead, you can practice panning your camera to capture the bird In fight while freezing the action. Or, you can set up your tripod and zoom in on seagulls floating in the water or perched on a nearby rock. Inquisitive, and looking for handouts, the seagulls will follow you in the early morning, affording you the opportunity to capture the graceful birds in a variety of poses.


	© Ryan R. Fox, Field Contributor

An integral part of the beach is, of course, the water. Simple in its form, this life-sustaining element provides a wealth of photographic opportunity. Use fast shutter speeds to capture the water splashing against a rock. Use slow shutter speeds to blur the picture and capture the motion of a gently rolling wave. Spending more time by the water, you will learn about reflections, possibly capturing the reflection of a lighthouse or tree in the glistening water.

Macro photography can also be learned while at the beach. Exploring the craggy coastline in the early morning hours affords you the opportunity to meander slowly, observing the shells that have washed up on shore of looking at the different types of reed grasses and other shoreline plant life along coast. Using a macro lens, or as a cheaper alternative, a set of macro filters, you can get good close-ups of the warm sun reflecting off a pastel seashells, all of which can be captured with the right macro equipment and the soft light of the early morning. Plants that swished against your legs as you found the right spot in which to bask are now interesting subjects that cannot be forgotten.


© Ryan R. Fox, Field Contributor

Lastly, do not forget about landscape photography. The beach is small, but a wide-angle lens will help you capture the overall scene. Taking it all in from a distance, you can capture rocky coastlines, tree lined beaches, or small islands backlit by the morning sun. Water splashing against the coast, an island with a tree jutting into the skyline, or a jetty interrupting the meandering coastline will add movement and direction to your landscape photograph, while seagulls, egrets, and rolling waves will bring the photograph to life.

With a bit of patience and perseverance, you will soon discover that that small, unspoiled section of land at the beach is a gem for the novice nature photographer. Opportunity abounds to capture colors, textures, and shapes; use wide angle, zoom, telephoto, and macro lenses; photograph wildlife, objects, water, and plant life; and experiment with shutter seeds and tripods. Take time, look around, hidden treasures await everywhere you look. Go to the beach over and over, refine your photography, and learn to love the little haven that provides respite from the buzz of life around you.

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